Anthropology and French

Anthropology and French is a combination that opens two distinct but complementary ways of engaging with the diversity of human cultures and societies. Anthropology is the study of what it means to be human, examining how people organise their lives, create social identities, establish communities, and navigate conflict and cooperation across the full range of cultural contexts the world offers. French opens access to one of the great literary and intellectual traditions of Europe and beyond, connecting you to the Francophone world that spans France, West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and many other regions.

At Queen's University of Belfast you will develop genuine linguistic proficiency in French alongside an in-depth study of Francophone cultures, including literature, cinema, linguistics, art and history in their broadest sense. Anthropology will give you the theoretical tools to examine social interaction, cultural identity and the ways in which groups form, sustain themselves and enter into conflict or dialogue. The combination is particularly productive for thinking about colonialism, postcolonialism, identity and cultural difference.

Students often have the opportunity to spend their year abroad in a Francophone country, including Martinique or Reunion, where the year can be combined with anthropological fieldwork connected to the final-year project. The programme runs over four years full time.

Graduates are well suited to careers in international development, diplomacy, the civil service, journalism, NGO work, education, cultural institutions, and any field that requires both linguistic access to Francophone contexts and the analytical skills to understand cultural and social complexity. Postgraduate study in anthropology, Francophone studies, international relations or development studies is a natural further step.